Orthorexia Nervosa Scale (ORTO-15)
A 15-item scale assessing obsessive attitudes and behaviours around 'healthy eating'.
In one minute
How it works in 3 steps
- You answer: You mark your attitudes and behaviours around eating.
- A total emerges: Your answers turn into a score.
- It is interpreted: The result is considered in the context of life and relationships.
Who it informs
When professional support helps
What does the ORTO-15 measure?
Eating healthily is a positive goal; but at times this effort can turn into rigid rules, intense anxiety, and a restriction of social life. The scale assesses whether that balance has been lost.
High results suggest that attitudes around eating may be negatively affecting quality of life.
How is it scored?
The items are scored and summed; because of how the scale is structured, scores below a certain threshold point to an increased tendency toward orthorexia. Interpretation is made together with the behaviour's impact on life.
- Items
- 15
- Score range
- 0–60
- Administration
- Self / observer report
What do the score bands mean?
The ranges below are a general frame. No band makes a diagnosis on its own; a result only becomes meaningful when a clinical psychologist interprets it alongside your life story.
| Score | General interpretation |
|---|---|
| 15–35 | High orthorexia risk |
| 36–45 | Moderate risk |
| 46–60 | Low orthorexia risk |
Limitation: It is a screening tool; orthorexia is not yet a separate formal diagnosis, and this scale never makes a diagnosis on its own. The result is evaluated through a conversation with a professional.
Psychometrics and source
Original source: Donini, L.M. et al. (2004). ORTO-15.
How is this scale used at Mete Psikoloji?
At Mete Psikoloji, for difficulties related to eating, this scale can be used to understand the relationship a person has with food and to track change over the course of support. It can be followed in the client portal, whether sessions are online or in person.
Related reading
Did your result give you pause?
A scale is only a starting point. By planning an assessment session with our clinical psychologists, you can consider your result alongside the context of your life.